Wagon-brake.



UNITEDI. STATES PATENT orrron.

WILLIAM H. LOPER, OF BELLGROVE, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM RATHS, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

WAGON-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed November 27, 1905- Serial No. 289,328-

.To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LoPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bellgrove, in the county of Kootenai and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention pertains to wagon-brakes; and it contemplates the provision of a simple and light wagon-brake and one which may be powerfully applied with but little effort on the part of the operator and which is adapted to be uickly released and to normally rest ou-t ofengagement with the wheels of a wagon.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s, forming part of this specification, in whic Figure 1 is a broken plan view illustrating the rear portion of a wagon equipped with the brake constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 1 is a detail view of the bracket comprised in my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the cross-brace of my improvements removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the peculiar and advantageous brake-beam removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken in the planes indicated by the lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail section illustrative of the manner in which the brake-beam is hung from the cross-bar.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which A is an axle, preferably the rear axle, of a wagon or the like. B B are the usual wheels mounted on the axle. C is a reach, which is shown in Fig. l as partly broken away, and D D are hounds extending between and connected to the axle and the reach. These parts may be and preferably are of the ordinary well-known construction.

E is a T-shap ed bracket having a head connected by shackles or other suitable means to the axle A and also having a forwardlyextending stem. This stem terminates at its forward end in a bifurcated portion a, having apertures in its lower and upper arms, as shown.

k F is a cross-brace fixedly connected to the hounds D and having an apertured center portion 1) disposed above the portion a of bracket E.

G is a bolt extending through and connecting the portion 1) of brace F and the portion a of bracket E, and H H are levers, the inner ends of which are lapped between the arms of the bracket portion a and are pivoted on the bolt G, whereby the levers are adapted to swing horizontally.

I is a brake-beam movable fore and aft below the reach C in front of the wheel B and bearing shoes 0.

J J are links connecting the middle of the beam I and the inner portions of the levers H, and K is a cross-bar arranged on and connected to the hounds D. The beam I is hung from the cross bar K through the medium of connections L, Fi s. 1 and 6.

M is a rock-shaft journa ed in suitable bearings e on the axle A and having arms N N are links connecting the said arms of the rock-shaft and the outer ends of the levers II, and P is a lever-arm which nor mally extends upwardly and rearwardly from one end of the rock-shaft M.

The mode of applying my improved brake is as follows: The operator moves the leverarm P so as to turn the shaft M on its axis and swing the shaft-arms) rearwardly, when it will be seen that the outer ends of the levers H and the beam I as a whole will be drawn rearwardly and the shoes 0 on the said beam will be applied to the tires of the wheels. It will also be apparent that because of the leverage afforded the operator is enabled with but little effort to powerfully apply the shoes 0 to the wheels. When pressure is removed from the lever P, the beam I will obviously swing forwardly and rest out of engagement with the wheels B and the other parts will remain in the positions illustrated ready for the application of the brake.

With a view of enablin the beam I to withstand the strains to which it will be subj ected when used as described in the foregoing I prefer to construct the said beam as best shown in Figs. 3 to 5that is to say, have it comprise a body 9 of suitable wood, truss-rods h, arranged above and below said body and having eyes at their ends, bolts 41, extending through and connecting the said eyes and the body, Fig. 5, and a link 7', straddling the rear edge of body g and having barrels at their ends receiving the said truss-rods h.

It will be gathered from the foregoin that in addition to the advantages which have hereinbefore ascribed to my novel brake the same is simple and inexpensive in construction and embodies no delicate parts such as are liable to get out of order after a short period of use.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a wagon-brake, the combination of an axle, a reach, hounds extending between and connected to the axle and the reach, a T-shaped bracket having a head connected to the axle and also havmg a forwardly-extendin stem terminating at its forward end in a bi rcated portion, a cross-brace fixedly connected to the hounds, a bolt extendin through the cross-brace and the bifuroate portion of the bracket-stem, horizontallyswinging levers fulcrumed on said bolt between the arms of said bifurcated portion, a

rock-shaft journaled on the axleand having crank-arms .and also having a lever-arm, connections between the crank-arms of the rock shaft and the horizontally swinging levers, a cross-bar connected to the hounds, a brake-beam hung from said cross-bar and movable fore and aft, and links connecting said brake-beam and the horizontally-swinging levers.

2. In a wagon-brake, a brake-beam comprising a body of wood, truss-rods arranged above and below said body and havin eyes at their ends, bolts extending throu and connectingthe said eyes and the b0 y, and a link straddling one longitudinal edge of the body and having portions receiving and holding the truss-rods.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

- WILLIAM H. LOPER Witnesses:

WILLIAM RATHs. GEo. F. STEELE. 

